Jackson County GaArchives History .....History of Harmony Grove-Commerce, Chapter 3 1949 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 21, 2004, 2:04 am CHAPTER III ORIGINAL ROADS, SPRINGS, TREES AND LANDMARKS Commerce is interesting because of its unique location just on a ridge of a water shed that flows each way. Generally speaking, this ridge is followed by the railroad two or three miles through the town and some two miles east and west. ROADS The original roads leading into and through the town of Harmony Grove, before it was incorporated, were: First, the Athens and Clarkesville road. This entered the southern limits by the L. G. Hardman's peach shed and followed the present paved road by way of the oil mill and cotton mill to a point in front of the First Baptist Church, then crossing the present railroad track, it led up Cherry Street by the Methodist Church, the Shankle residence and his first store, to the Carnesville Road. Then at a right angle with what is now State Street, it crossed over the railroad track in front of the Northeastern Bank, continuing up North Elm Street in front of C. W. Hood's store and residence, again crossing the track and following the railroad to the J. B. Hardman residence, and the present incorporate limit, leaving on the west side a narrow field of about eight acres known as the Hood's field. Second, the Jefferson Road, leading from the W. C. Hood place, entered the town at the B. B. Hawks corner, which is now the present Jefferson Street. The Homer Road followed the present Homer Street, except after passing the Sander's home, it bore to the right in front of the Negro Baptist Church, on to Pittman's Mill on Pittman's Creek. This was also the outlet for the upper Carnesville Road. Third, the Jefferson and Carnesville Road led from the Oconee River Bridge by the Mercer Jackson place, passing through the Dunson and Langston farms, crossing the Clarkesville Road at Wheeler's Gin, on by the Short and Wilbanks farms, entered the upper Carnesville Road at the John Scoggins place about two and one-half miles from town. Fourth, the lower Carnesville Road, leading by what is now State Street, then across to Hargrove bottoms, the place where the present road now runs. Fifth, leaving the Athens Road at Water's Store by what is now Madison Street to the southeast, another road led through Madison County. To the mountain wagon travellers, this road was known under the various names of Nowhere, Sandy Cross, Lexington, Washington and Augusta Road. This road passed by the W. B. J. Hardman home and doctor's office. SPRINGS Springs were numerous in Harmony Grove. Beginning on the Madison County Road near the James E. Haggard place, now Ingram's store, was a very bold spring, being the head of Sandy Creek. On the north side of the road was a spring, the beginning of Beaver Dam Creek, which formed the branch on which is located the Hardman Jones Lake. At the head of this lake was a fine spring known as Whiteoak Spring. On the east side of Spring Street there is a spring first used by Eli Shankle, known as the Shankle and Barber Spring, which has been in use for some one hundred and forty years. This is another head of Beaver Dam Creek known as the Shankle Branch. These two branches came together about a mile from their heads at which Junction Alfred and J. S. P. Richey had a wheat, corn and saw mill with two mill ponds, one above the fork on Hardman Branch, and one below the fork. These ponds were the joy of the boys of that day for fishing and swimming. On a Saturday afternoon, the boys of the neighborhood, Henry, Lam, and Bob Hardman, the Haggards, the Embreys, and others started to the Richey pond for a swim. As they neared the pond, in the woods and undergrowth ahead they heard a noise and a rustling among the leaves. All were frightened as to the kind of wild animal making the noise. Lam appeared to be bolder than the others. He stepped forward and called out, "Who is that?" Another sharp noise, "chook," came from the rustling leaves and bushes. The boys took to their heels, every man for himself. Some came out near the cotton mill site, some at Haggard's shop, one or two at home. The boys reporting their experience, the older heads returned with them and discovered that the noise proceeded from a wild turkey gobbler, scratching in the leaves and hidden by the under-growth. When disturbed, he made this queer noise and ran the other way. Along these two branches above referred to and between them, the land was covered largely by original forest woods and partly by old field growth. In this original forest were many forest pine and some large chestnut trees which had died decades before, now naked and without bark. Along the branches poplars, oaks, and hickory abounded. This was a suitable place for wild game, such as foxes, coons, opossums, squirrels and rabbits, also quite a few wild turkeys. In these woods were some birds now extinct, or nearly so, in this section. The wood hen, now extinct, was a large black bird about the size of a crow, but of the shape of a woods' bird of the Sapsucker family. It had a white head with a red crest. Other birds, as the yellow hammer, red-headed pecker wood, sap suckers and blue birds are now rarely seen. Along in the '60's and '70's, migratory wild pigeons roosted by the thousands in the forest. At night, the breaking of the limbs from the weight of these birds and the flapping of their wings could be heard all over the woods. On the west side of the railroad and west of the Harmony Grove cotton mill is a spring long used by the operators. There is also a good one in the L. C. Hardman pasture used by the tenants. Up nearer in town on the west side of the railroad was a small spring in the rear of the Cooper lot where once was a gin and a sawmill, operated by Rush Cromer. On the same little branch was the school house spring, which was later enclosed in the L. C. Hardman pecan orchard. This spring for some ten years was the water supply for the school, which was located on the present site of the grammar school building. Up near Central Avenue was another spring, near which was once one of the early school cabins, near the site of the Commerce Brick and Lumber Company, now the Frozen Food Locker Plant. Very early in the pioneer days, the real head of this small stream, on which the above was located, was a spring where is now located the City Hall. The other prong, or head, known as Hood's Branch, had its source west of C. W. Hood's residence, in what is generally known as Hood's calf pasture. There was, also, a bold spring in Willoughby Park on this side of this small stream. On the east side of the railroad, between the Dale and Quillian homes, was a spring near which Dicky Minish, one of the pioneer settlers, lived. This was the head of what was later known as the Tanyard Branch on which was located a tannery. On the Carnesville Road, north side, was a spring between the Jesse Wood and Bowden properties which led by the K. N. Sharp swimming pool. Another spring and branch is located in the northern part of the town. The spring heads near Park Street and runs through the J. B. Hardman's dairy pasture on through the Hood-Quillian Park in which are several springs that make a good size branch in a few hundred yards. This property along the head of this branch was owned by W. J. Goss and in the pasture referred to, Mr. Goss had a well stocked fish pond. In this pond, the writer, together with A. B. Deadwyler and Oscar Harrison and perhaps others, were baptized by Rev. W. B. J. Hardman in August, 1885. Mr. Goss then lived on Homer Street in a house now owned by Mrs. P. C. Strickland. A pathway led from the house to the pond. TREES There were many noted trees in Harmony Grove. In front of the Harmony Grove Cotton Mill office stood a large spreading post oak under whose shading branches was located a well used by the public and where many weary travellers quenched their thirst. In front of the Y. J. Johnson home on South Elm between the street and the railroad stood a very large sassafras tree known to all the mountain wagoners as the "Cold Sassafras." They spoke of it as the coldest spot between the mountains and Augusta. This tree was more than two feet in diameter with a knot hole some ten feet from the ground, from which the school boys robbed the blue birds' nests. When this tree was taken down, T. C. Hardman for several months, used some of its roots to make sassafras tea. Another noted tree was the large hickory in front of C. W. Hood's store, near which was a public well. Another, a large spreading water oak, grew in front of the Hardman Hardware store. This tree attained about thirty-six inches in diameter in about forty-five years. It was planted in 1882. Under its spreading branches and shade in summer boys played marbles and passersby stopped to enjoy the coolness. On one occasion, W. T. Harber, stopping to enjoy the shade, said to the boys, "If that tree was in my yard, I wouldn't begrudge five dollars." Tom Stapler remarked, "As poor as I am, if I had it in my yard, I wouldn't have it cut down for fifty dollars." Harber retorted, "That shows how you appreciate shade and I appreciate money.” In front of the Dr. W. B. J. Hardman’s office on Madison Street, stands an old knarled oak. This tree served his patients as a hitching place. This, with the doctor’s small office, is one of the land marks of old Harmony Grove. The office stood on the same spot as originally built for ninety-one years. The tree is still standing. On the same road just at the incorporate limits, there were two large sycamore trees in front of a two-storied wagon and blacksmith shop, operated by James E. Haggard and later by his son, J. B. Haggard, just where the home of Miss Rosa Haggard, daughter of J. B. Haggard, now stands. At the old home place of Eli Shankle, later known as the Virginia Baugh place, and still later as the Mrs. Mary M. Barber place, were four large sycamore trees, two on either side of the house, and one large cedar tree which gave to the place for a time, the name of "Sycamore Dell." Referring to public wells, there was one located at the corner of North Broad and State Streets at the corner of the Jesse P. Wood building, now occupied by E. B. Crow. This well was a public watering place and most of the merchants in that locality came each morning with their buckets for their drinking water. Some years later after the water system was installed there were some three or more cast iron drinking troughs provided in different parts of town for watering stock of farmers and others. A NORTHEAST STORM A noted occurrence in the northeast section of Georgia was a severe equinoctial gale on the second Sunday in September, 1882. This storm with heavy rains, began early Saturday night and continued through Sunday, reaching its height by noon. The downpour of rain saturated the ground and caused the trees, especially the forest pines, to fall in great numbers. In fact, millions of trees were blown up by the roots in this section. In the woods above refered to, some 200 forest pines were blown down. Peeler and Lovin put a saw mill at the Roller Mill site and sawed this timber into lumber. For some 25 years or more, people hunting in the woods at night could locate the points of the compass by clay roots which pointed from northeast to southwest. ANOTHER PHENOMENON Long remembered was the Nash Cyclone which occurred in the afternoon of February 19, 1884. This cyclone completely demolished and blew away the home of C. T. Nash, killing Miss Mary Nash, his aunt, and injuring several others of the family. Mr. Nash, being some distance away, was not in the path of the cyclone, which was about 3 00 feet wide. The storm seemed to have originated some few miles south of Jefferson, passing over the Oconee River at the Gathright place, by the Benton farm, then passing near the Z. W.. Hood home it exactly centered the C. T. Nash dwelling on the Athens road, on the rise midway between the homes of Dick Standridge and Ed Holland. It passed over into Madison County and was dissipated near the Harrison Hix farm. This cyclone was seen by the people of Harmony Grove as it progressed in its path. It appeared as a funnel-shaped cloud and smoke, with the small end toward the earth. It was preceded by heavy hail precipitation which fell also in the town of Harmony Grove. Some of the hail stones, as large as cups and saucers, were picked up and weighed in Dr. L. G. Hardman's drug store. They weighed from fourteen to sixteen ounces each. This probably was the largest hail stone on record in this part of the state. Additional Comments: From HISTORY OF HARMONY GROVE - COMMERCE JACKSON COUNTY, GEORGIA BY THOMAS COLQUITT HARDMAN 1810-1949 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/jackson/history/other/gms149historyo.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 13.2 Kb